Urine collecting shield



March 2, 1965 R. D. GIBSON 3,171,136

URINE COLLECTING SHIELD Filed June 6, 1960 INVENTOR Robe/f D. 67.65011 I i ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,171,136 URINE COLLECTING SHIELD Robert 1). Gibson, 9923 Bennett liiace NE, Albuquerque, N. Mex. Filed June 6, 1960, Ser. No. 34,237 8 Claims. (Cl. 4-110) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for use in collecting urine specimens, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate reception and delivery of urine from the urethra into a suitable specimen receptacle in such manner that the receptacle does not come in contact with the body of the user.

As is well known, urine specimen receptacles are not always properly sterilized and many persons, particular- 1y women who of necessity must place the receptacle against the vulva, are concerned about the possibility of contracting infection from the receptacle and, in some instances are unable or unwilling to produce the required urine specimen because of an adverse psychological reaction to the procedure involved.

An important feature of the invention, therefore, resides in the provision of the instant device which, as a single use, disposable item, is in the form of an adapter such as may be placed against the labia or lips of the vulva, or against the glans penis, as the case may be, for receiving and delivering urine from the urethra into a specimen receptacle, the presence of such an adapter completely eliminating contact or" the specimen receptacle with the vulva or penis so that the danger of infection by contact with the receptacle does not exist and the psychological attitude of the user is not adversely affected.

Briefly, the device or adapter in accordance with the invention comprises a plate-like, dished or cup-shaped shield which is intended to be held against the labia or glans penis and is provided with a tubular neck serving as a passage for urine, the neck being inserted or otherwise connected to a suitable specimen receptacle so that the urine received in the shield is delivered thereinto. Various modifications of the shield are disclosed for engaging the vulva and the glans penis, and some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, convenient and comfortable use, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture, especially as a single use, disposable item.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, of a preferred form of the adapter;

FIGURE 2 is an underside plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of another modified form;

FIGURE 5 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, of still another form of the adapter; and

FIGURE 6 is an underside plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES 14 inclusive, the device for use in collecting urine specimens in the form of an adapter which in FIGURES 1-2 is designated generally by the numeral 10, in FIGURE 3 by the numeral and in FIGURE 4 by the numeral 30, all these 3,i7l,i35 Patented Mar. 2, 1965 adapters being intended for use in collecting urine specimens from females, as will be hereinafter explained in conjunction with FIGURE 1.

Dealing first with the adapter 10, the same is formed integrally from one piece of any suitable material such as moisture-resistant paper, plastic, soluble cardboard, or the like, the fabrication of the device being effected by molding or otherwise in a simple manner and the material being such that the device is inexpensive to manufacture and may be discarded after a single use. Thin rubber, rigid enough to retain its shape, may also be employed, and if soluble paper or cardboard is utilized, it should resist moisture long enough to facilitate use of the adapter but dissolve when discarded into water, as for example, in a toilet bowl.

In any event, the adapter It embodies in its construction a dish-shaped shield 11 which is somewhat elongated and oval-shaped in plan as shown in FIGURE 2, the dish-shaped configuration thereof permitting it to fit in a leak-proof manner against the labia or lips 5 of the vulva when the device is placed in use, it being understood that by positioning the shield against the vulva, the flexible labia become somewhat compressed by their engagement with the shield and prevent leakage or spilling of urine discharged from the urethra.

The shield 11 is provided at the center thereof and on its underside with a tubular neck 14 having an enlarged upper end portion 14a integral with the shield, the neck 14 with its enlarged portion 14a providing means for attachment of a suitable specimen receptacle 15 to the adapter as well as providing a passage 16 for delivering into the receptacle 15 urine discharged into the shield 11 from the urethra. The neck 14 with the enlarged portion 14a is adapted to be attached to the mouth portion of the receptacle 15 in such manner that it remains attached thereto and the user, while holding the receptacle, applies the shield 11 of the adapter against the vulva whereby the specimen collecting procedure is effected without the receptacle 15 coming in contact with the users body.

The modified adapters 2t and 30 shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively, are substantially the same as the adapter 10 with the exception that while the adapter 10 is dish-shaped in terms of configuration of its shield 11, the shield 21 of the adapter 21 is fiat in form and the shield 31 of the adapter 3t? has a flat intermediate portion 31a carrying the neck 14 and a pair of end portions 31]; which are also flat but are angularly offset from the plane of the portion 31a, as illustrated. As such, the different configurations of the shields in the respective embodiments are adapted to variously fit the labia of the vulva, depending upon the physical characteristics and preference of the individual user.

In all embodiments of the invention the shield may be provided at its marginal edge with a finger tab 32 for convenient handling, particularly during its removal from the mouth of the associated specimen receptacle.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-6 inclusive, these illustrate another modified adapter designated generally by the numeral 40 and primarily intended for use by men. As such, the shield 41 of the adapter is frusto-conn'cal or cup-shaped, so that the glans penis may be inserted therein. The dimensions of the shield 41 may be such as to accommodate only the glans, either with or without the praeputium or foreskin, or alternatively, the shield may extend upwardly for some distance along the penis shaft. In any event, the adapter will prevent contact of the specimen receptacle not only with the penis, but also with the adjacent scrotum.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various other modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. For use in combination with a urine specimen bottle having a cylindrical mouth, a unitary one-piece specimen collecting adaptor device disposable after a single use, said device comprising a shield member having one side shaped to be placed against a portion of the body of the user and substantially fitting against the same and adapted to receive urine, said shield member having a central opening therein of circular cross section, and a cylindrical stepped neck member formed integrally with said shield substantially centrally on the opposite side thereof from the side applied to the body of the user, said neck member including an enlarged portion communicating with said opening and a reduced cylindrical discharge portion, said neck member being adapted to be removably received and frictionally held in the cylindrical mouth of a specimen bottle for delivering urine from the shield into the latter.

2. For use in combination with a urine specimen bottle having a cylindrical mouth, a unitary one-piece specimen collecting adaptor device disposable after a single use, said device comprising a. shallow oval dish-shaped shield member having a concave side adapted to be placed against the vulva and substantially fitting against the same and adapted to receive urine discharged from the urethra, said shield member having a central opening therein of circular cross section, and a cylindrical stepped neck member formed integrally with said shield substantially centrally on the convex side thereof, said neck member including an enlarged portion communicating with said opening and a reduced cylindrical discharge portion, said neck member being adapted to be removably received and frictionally held in the cylindrical mouth of a specimen bottle for delivering urine from the shield into the latter.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said shield and said integral neck are formed from fibrous material soluble in water.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the depth of the shield member is substantially less than the length of the neck member.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein a fiat shoulder is provided at the juncture of the enlarged and reduced portions of the neck member and a second shoulder is provided at the juncture of the enlarged portion of the neck member with the shield.

6. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the shield member is substantially flat on both sides.

7. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shield member is cup shaped.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shield member is provided with a lifting tab at the periphery of the shield member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 682,650 Thornton et al Sept. 17, 1901 1,407,872 Lacy Feb. 28, 1922 1,657,975 Shiells Jan. 31, 1928 2,548,149 Fowler Apr. 10, 1951 2,648,335 Chambers Aug. 11, 1953 2,789,660 Weimer Apr. 23, 1957 2,815,511 Friedman et al Dec. 10, 1957 2,869,548 Mason Jan. 20, 1959 2,878,486 Bartlett et al. Mar. 24, 1959 2,896,788 Hoffberger July 28, 1959 2,940,450 Witt et al. June 14, 1960 

1. FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A URINE SPECIMEN BOTTLE HAVING A CYLINDRICAL MOUTH, A UNITARY ONE-PIECE SPECIMEN COLLECTING ADAPTOR DEVICE DISPOSABLE AFTER A SINGLE USE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A SHIELD MEMBER HAVING ONE SIDE SHAPED TO BE PLACED AGAINST A PORTION OF THE BODY OF THE USER AND SUBSTANTIALLY FITTING AGAINST THE SAME AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE URINE, SAID SHIELD MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, AND A CYLINDRICAL STEPPED NECK MEMBER FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH 